Starting device for internal-combustion engines.



' PATENTED MAR. 24, 1908.

P. H. WALKER. STARTING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20. 1907.

FRANK H. 'WALKER, OF ATWOOD, KANSAS.

STARTING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed July 20, 1907. Serial No. 384,786.

Patented March 24, 1908.

To all whomit may concern.-

Be it'known that I, FRANK H. WALKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Atwood, in the county of Rawlinsand State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starting Devices for Intemal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a starting device for internal-combustion engines, but more particularly that kind in which a combustible mix- I ture of air and hydrocarbon under ressure is suppliedto theworking cylinder the engine and'is ignited therein. to act directly on the iston.

T einv'ention comprises an air-pump the cylinder of which is in communication with t e explosion-chamber of the engine, and

containsa plunger which is driven by the ressure from the explosion in said chamber.

plunger descends.

cated on top of-the plunger 10 so as to enter the outlet-pi e 14' at "the extremity of the outward stro e of the plun er. The stud 19 has a small passage extending from the top to the side thereof for the purpose of reventing the formation of a vacuum w en the The ump-cylinder com; municates with theexp osion-chamber 6 of the engine by a pipe 20 containing a valve 20 by meansof which communication between said cylinder and chamber is established'or cut off. I

The pipe 14 has a branch 21 leading to the explosion-chamber 6 of the engine, and said branch-pipe has a by-p ass in which is located a carbureter. The carbureter com rises a tank 22 containing a suppl of li ui hydrocarbon indicated at 23, a ove t e level of which is arranged a strainer 24 composed of 76 1 two layers of canvas with a .packin of abhe compressed air is stored in a tank which 5 is in communication with the explosionchainber of the engine, and between the tank and said chamber is a device for charging the air with h drocarbon. A suitable arrangement of va ves controls the admission of the compressed combustible mixture to the engine.

In the-accompanying drawing is shown an elevation of the starting-device, partly in section, onl so much of the engine being shown aswil sufiice to show the connection of the invention therewith.

- In the drawing 5 denotes the cylinder of an internal-combustion engine of ordinary construction; and 6 is the explosion-chamber thereof. On top of the cylinder is mounted, in any suitable manner, the cylinder 7 of an air-pump which contains a piston 8 connected by a'rod 9 to a plunger 10. Around the rod is coiled a s ring 11 which is confined between the to o the piston and a shoulder 12 formed on t e inner wall of the ump-cylinder. 'Above the plunger 10, t e pumpcylinder has an inlet-valve 13, and an outlet which is a pipe 14 leading to a tank 15 in which the compressed air is stored. The pipe 14 has a check-valve 16 to prevent re-,

turn of the air to the pump-cylinder.

In the pump-cylindennbove the shoulder 12, is a partit1on'17, andaround the rod 9 between this partition and the bottom'of the plunger 10, is coiled a'spring118 to cushion he return movement of t e piston and 55 plunger. The outward movement of the piston is cushioned by means of a stud 19 losorbent material therebetween. he bypass heretofore referred to comprises'a pipe 25 extending from the pipe 21 into the tank 22, the mouth of the pipe 25 being located below the level of the iquid 23 in the tank.

. The outlet from the tank is by a pipe 26 which enters the bottom thereof and extends through the liquid 23 and the strainer 24, i the mouth of said pipe being located above 35 the strainer and the liquid. The pipe 26 communicates with the pipe 21.

' The passage of air through the by-pass and into the engine is controlled by valves 27 and 28, respectively, the former being located in 0 the pipe 21 in advance of the junction of the pipe 25 herewith. The valve 28 is located in the pipe 21 between the junction of the pipes 25 and 26 herewith. When the valve 27 is open and the valve 28 is closed, the entire supply of air passes through the carbureter, and when the valve 28 is partly open only a portion of the air flows through the Y carbureter so that by 0 crating said valve the richness of the com ustible mixture is readily regulated.

The operation of the device isgas jfggllows:- After the engine has been started a portion.

of the pressure from each explosion in its cylinder is directed against the piston 8,

whereby it is driven outwardly. As the, pumg-piston is connected with the plunger 10 t e latter moves outwardl with the former and forces the air into t e tank :15.

The outward movement 'of the pumpiston compresses the spring-i1, and when t e engmeexhausts the spring expands and returns the piston and plunger whereupon air "is admitted to the pump-cylinder through started manually but after this the engine can be started by simply turning on air from the tank which is done as follows: The valve 27 is opened and the valve 28 is partly closed, whereby the air from the tank passes through the ipe 21, into the pipe25, and

' through the liquid hydrocarbon in the tank 22. The charge of vaporized hydrocarbon is then taken up by the pipe 26 and joins with the fresh air in the pipe 21 and is delivered by the latter pi pe' under pressure to the explosion-chamber of the engine and there in ignited in' the ordinary manner. If after the first charge the engine fails to take its own mixture, another charge can be given it. In practice, only a small portion of the in presence of two stored an is necessary to start the engine and for this reason a large storage of air is not necessary. If desired, the valve 28 can be entirely closed so that all of the air will flow through the carbureter. After the engine the junction of the has worked up its own feed the starting-debustion engine, of a carbureter, asource of compressed air, a pipe connecting said source w th the explosion chamber of the englue and having a branch leading to the carbureter,- and an outlet from the carbureterconnecting with the first-mentioned pi e.

2. The combination with an interna -combustion engine, of a carbureter, a source of compressed air, a pipe connecting said source with the explosion chamber of the engme and having a branch leading to the carbureter, an outlet from the carbureter connecting with the first mentioned pipe, and valves in said pipe on opposite sides of branch pipe therewith. In testimony whereofl aflix my signature, witnesses.

v FRANK H. lVALKER, Witnesses:

E N. MADSEN, FRED RANDALL 

